2014 03 13 cviii 11

Walnut Hills High School

Volume CVIII, Issue 11

March 13, 2014

More than just the robo-calls A day in the life of Principal Jeffrey Brokamp

Hannah Shaw, ‘14 Engulfed in the congested halls of a midday bell change, Principal Jeffrey Brokamp stands out among the sea of students. He can often be spotted wearing a blue-andgold tie and will always offer a smile and a pat on the back in passing. But even though that is when most students see him, what really goes on throughout the day of a principal?

“My day usually consists of nine to ten meetings, but I’m here for around 15 hours,” Brokamp said. All scheduled meetings are organized through his secretary, Joan Kuethe. Her job includes creating the master schedule for the school and organizing shadows, but a large part of her day is keeping Brokamp on top of his packed schedule. “It’s so stressful,” Kuethe said, “But I think he’s just the kind of person who thrives on that.”

Prior to becoming the “head eagle,” Brokamp was a math teacher and administrator at Woodward High School, then principal at Crest Hills Elementary, principal at Mount Washington Elementary, principal at the School of Creative and Performing Arts and assistant superintendent for Cincinnati Public Schools. “You collect all these experiences and they make you who you are,” Brokamp said.

On February 25, the Chatter-

GRAPHIC CREDIT: ASHWINI KAMATH/CHATTERBOX

box shadowed Brokamp, beginning with his arrival on campus at 7:15, and through shadowing and scheduled meetings that ranged from meetings with individual students to a data analysis session with other administrators in the building.

In addition to his plethora of scheduled events, Brokamp’s office has a revolving door of visitors.

Oftentimes, it is a student or

HANNAH SHAW/CHATTERBOX

Out of the many meetings in his day, Brokamp tries to always make time for students. He meets with SENIOR Nancy Al Sheyyab about an event.

NEWS “Cutting costs for college” As the cost of college continues to spike, one question is on students’ minds...

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whhscbox.com

“The death of the bird”

staff member who is looking for a little “Brokamp magic” to fix a problem. “It’s always challenging when people are upset about something,” Brokamp said. “But students have high expectations of themselves and the school, and with high expectations, there’s a lot of room for people to get upset.” Nevertheless, he takes it as “all part of the job.”

The first item of Brokamp’s day is shadowing. At 8:00 a.m. he goes to the conference room to meet the large group of prospective students and their parents as they sit around the long wood table, watching an informational video about Walnut. Brokamp sits at the head of the table and has each student introduce themselves.

He makes a connection with each wide-eyed student and their parents as they go around the table and share about themselves.

At 8:20, Brokamp braves the halls amidst a bell change, giving him a chance to interact with students. Brokamp is grateful for any opportunity to talk to students: “they put color in my work day,” Brokamp said. “[The students] are fun, funny and intuitive...when I’m not having a great day, there will be a student who comes up and asks me if I’m feeling okay.”

SPORTS “Spring sports spectacular” Read about coming spring sports: baseball, tennis, track and field and lacrosse

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He even occasionally runs into one of his own children.

A large part of Brokamp’s day is spent in meetings in his office.

At 10:30, he meets with AP Calculus teacher Ferd Schneider to review an observation done in his class. “I really enjoy talking to the teachers about what I see in their classrooms,” Brokamp said.

At 11:15, SENIOR Hailey Robinson interviewed Brokamp for the Remembrancer regarding the surplus of snow days this year.

Once a week, Brokamp holds an Administrative Data meeting with Sally Thurman, John Chambers and Amy Fischer. For an hour, the administrators discuss details of the school that seem to just appear. With testing season approaching, they mull over details such as whether chairs for testing will have

FINE ARTS “Walnut shows off fine arts in new sampler” On Saturday, March 22, Walnut will showcase its visual arts, choral, theatre and music....

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Hannah Shaw, Editor-in-Chief

backs and where would be best to put the masses of students.

Brokamp dedicates a major portion of his day to meeting with students. He met with SENIOR Nancy Al Sheyyab, after receiving an email from her regarding an opportunity she’s been offered. Al Sheyyab had the upcoming occasion of speaking at the Boy Scout Explorer’s organization luncheon and wanted to invite Brokamp to attend it with her, despite never having met him. Brokamp reviews Al Sheyyab’s speech, offers public speaking advice and discusses appropriate outfit options for the luncheon; Brokamp tells Al Sheyyab, “If you’re going to fall, fall in pants.

That’s my philosophy.”

Brokamp’s day continues long after the last bell rings at 2:30. From faculty meetings to cheering on a sports team or stopping by an art show, Brokamp’s day has usually just begun when the students’ day ends.

“Would you like fries with that?”

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PEANUTS “Peanut of the Issue” A spelling bee champion who wants to go to nationals and be a zoologist. Take your guess and check if you’re right....

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News

Social media intervention Jazlyn Day, ‘14 I should really do my homework… Students may be thinking this while scrolling through Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or Snapchat. Social media has become increasingly prominent in today’s society. Often times while students should be listening to teachers, they’re often taking selfies on Snapchat or live tweeting about their #firstworldproblems.

According to <SocialNetwork. procon.org>, Students who used social networking sites while studying scored 20% lower on tests, and students who used social media had an average GPA of 3.06 versus non-users who had an average GPA of 3.82. Some students have come to realize that social networking has become addicting.

“Yes, I do think social networking is addicting,” SENIOR Marquis Austin said. “It consumes a lot of your time...you just feel like if you are not on there, then you are missing something.”

According to the Huffington Post, a study on Facebook addiction was conducted by Dar Meshi and colleagues at Freie Institute.

For the study, Meshi measured volunteers' brain activity while the volunteers received varying amounts of positive feedback about themselves (or a stranger as a control condition). They found that individuals' nucleus accumbens became more active when receiving self-relevant feedback.

The more active the nucleus accumbens is, the more likely someone is to spend more time on social networking sites such as Facebook.

Many don’t realize that they could be addicted to social media sites. On the right are warning signs for each social media site, which may determine if you are addicted.

JOE SCHMIDLAPP/CHATTERBOX

JOE SCHMIDLAPP/CHATTERBOX

Cutting the costs of college Part one: Advanced Placement courses

Satia Hardy, ‘14 Nisa Muhammad, ‘15 As the cost of college continues to spike, one of the larger questions that high school students may face is how they will pay for college. The cost of college can be a stressful factor when preparing for a higher-level education, but there are early steps any high school student can take to lower the price and even decrease the amount of time spent in college while still in high school.

Walnut offers 31 of the 38 AP courses available to students through The College Board. Along with challenging tests and rigorous coursework, a student must take the AP exam in May to verify, according to the College Board,

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his/her “qualification.” The College Board scale states that a one, which signifies that a student has “no recommendation,” is the lowest score a student can receive and a five is the highest, which signifies that a student is “extremely well qualified.”

Students should aim to earn at least a three on the AP exam.

However, the AP exam scores that are accepted by colleges vary. In most cases, earning an acceptable score on an AP exam can exempt you from taking some of the core curriculum classes in college and possibly grant you sophomore standing as a freshman.

“I took 12 APs,” said alumna Clara Smith, who entered college

at the University of Virginia as a sophomore. “I think the biggest benefit is really learning more of what a college class is like. The lecture-style classrooms with big tests instead of busy work is really how college is. I also did go into college with a lot of requirements out of the way, which was nice to take whatever I truly wanted.”

AP classes are also weighted by a factor of 1.5, which can be beneficial to a student’s class rank.

“I would definitely challenge every single person to take at least one [AP],” Smith said. “There are some AP classes that all Walnut students are definitely capable of taking. They just need to take the challenge.”

March 13, 2014

ALEX PERSIANI/CHATTERBOX

Kellan Robinson,’16 looks through the 31 AP courses offered at Walnut.

Advanced Placement courses are a way to gain college credit beginning in the 10th grade.

Page Editor: Abrena Rowe

Queer rights: it’s not just about marriage

ALI MCNAIR/CHATTERBOX

Catchy and creative protest signs are a way to delete ignorance in controversial topics easily and effectively. Pop culture references such as Doctor Who frequently attract attention.

Jason Hettesheimer, ‘14

in Kansas was being attacked and a police officer saw it, the officer would have the option of not taking immediate action and deferring the situation to other officers who may or may not respect the rights of queer people.

Luckily, all of these bills have been struck down, but the larger problem is that they arose at a time when many are coasting on the success of same-sex marriage without thinking about more overarching queer rights issues.

Now, when there is a shift to the positive in the public’s general opinion of queer people, we are also the second most-targeted group for hate crimes. Legislation that shows that homophobic and transphobic beliefs are still strong and becoming stronger is sending a message that it is okay to discriminate against people on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Even local policies and events in Cincinnati show backlash toward the queer community. In 2012, GLSEN Greater

It feels fantastic watching states strike down laws preventing same-sex marriages from being recognized, but the marriage battle that is being won is only a small victory. It fails to address the inequalities that are faced by the entire queer community. Despite these small gains, there is still minimal queer diversity within the media, as well as an extreme amount of backlash at a national level -- where many states are passing queer discrimination laws -- and at a local level, where the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network, GLSEN, has been effectively banned from the St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

Many states have introduced bills that promote inequality.

These bills, passed on the basis of religious freedom, would allow businesses -- and, in Kansas’s case, the police and hospitals -- to refuse service to people on the basis of sexual orientation. That would have meant that if someone

The death of the bird

COURTNEY HICKENLOOPER/CHATTERBOX

Even before his death, Flappy Bird caused violent outbreaks by the constant competition between friends and family for the highest score. There are several scandals around the game, including possible murders.

Cincinnati was able to walk in the St. Patrick’s parade and was warmly welcomed by paradegoers. So it was a surprise in 2013 when I received the message three days before the parade date that we were no longer allowed to march because our signs contained the words “gay” and “lesbian.” So, we did the only thing we thought was appropriate: we wanted to stand together for those who had seen what was going on and could not do anything about it.

There are always two parts to any movement: the policy that can be changed relatively quickly, and the social perceptions of the people--which can take generations. In an age when many people commonly watch television and go to the movies, how queer characters are portrayed in their roles is a way to change the ever-present stereotypes in the queer community. One of my greatest frustrations is seeing the same white, gay, effeminate, non-trans* character throughout television shows such as Glee and Modern Family. It is a step in the right direction to have gay people on television, but

Viewpoints

it is harmful to put out the same stereotype to attempt to illustrate a diverse community.

There have been gains in this area, one of them being Laverne Cox, an openly transgender activist and actress playing a trans* character in Orange is the New Black. It is one of the few times a transgender person has portrayed a transgender character, which is crucial in putting a positive popular image of transgender people in the media. And because there are openly transgender actors out there, it was disappointing to see Jared Leto, a non-trans* person, play a transgender woman in Dallas Buyers Club. This issue is about devaluing the transgender experience as “a man in a dress” and not a woman who was designated male at birth.

Out of all of the queer issues that we face today, why are we fixating on marriage? There are many more pertinent issues out there, and as we focus on this issue, we fail to acknowledge the unique struggles that the queer community faces -- such as misrepresentation in the media.

ALI MCNAIR/CHATTERBOX

Variations on popular sayings are also effective means to display the discrepancies of privilege. For the St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 15, 2014, this sign and the sign above will be used to draw attention to queer rights.

Austin Douglas, ‘15 Aisling Grueninger, ‘15 Flappy Bird was removed from all app stores on February 11, 2014. Cause of death has yet to be determined, although speculated to have occurred due to severe head trauma sustained from colliding with countless green pipes. Bird was born May 24, 2013 in the Apple App Store to Vietnamese-based developer Dong Nguyen. However, Bird’s true success came about seven months after being released. Bird was the most downloaded app from the Apple App store in January 2014.

Users were troubled by Bird’s

sudden death, and many rushed to download it before the app left the store for good. However, Bird caused a spike in enrollment in anger management classes, as well as an increase in screen replacement on phones.

Flappy Bird will live on in our hearts forever, as well as the phones who are lucky enough to still have the app downloaded. Its legacy is carried on by the many apps inspired by its success. Flappy Bird is survived by games similar to it, including Splashy Fish, City Bird-Flappy Flyer and Flying Cyrus-Wrecking Ball. Funeral arrangements for Bird have yet to be disclosed.

Epidemic infects SENIORS Wally Hill, ‘14,

Cough. Cough cough cougghhhh achem. Please excuse my cough.

Even though our calendar claims that spring should be arriving, winter has prolonged its stay and his gift of disease remains. There seems to be a sickness going around, and students should be on the lookout for warning signs.

This disease is not fatal, but is known to cause a loss of inhibitions and a weakened work ethic.

Absences are common, and GPA may even be affected. Sources say the disease can be both physically and mentally debilitating. “This disease has negatively affected my health,” one anonymous student said. “I find that I sleep less and am less focused on schoolwork.

My productivity is worse than that of workers hired beyond equilibrium price level and output.”

Fortunately, most students are safe, but SENIORS are especially at risk for this “-itis.” It is important to note the warning signs so that preventative measures may be taken immediately.

Maintaining good health is the best way to protect against early onset. “Eat a healthy breakfast daily, and maintain a high GPA by attending class and completing all homework assignments promptly and carefully,” Dr. Studee Moore advises. “Make sure to always pay attention in class, take careful notes and study for every quiz and test.”

If, however, you are negligent or find yourself infected by the disease despite these preventative measures, here are some treatment options: inform parents, teachers and friends if you notice any signs of the disease, which include fatigue, diminished motivation, multiple school absences, excessive tardiness, sleeping in class, consistently lower-than-personalaverage grades and other similar symptoms. If you notice any of these signs, it is imperative that you immediately increase sleep, enhance meals and drink large amounts of liquids. You must also make sure you go to every class every day and study for each test for at least two hours. The only cure is graduation -- or the threat of not being able to graduate -but it is best to avoid the disease altogether. Besides, isn’t there a purpose to high school besides just getting into college? Maybe there’s a little learning to be done in the few months we have left. If only we weren’t all so ill...

The Chatterbox Policy Statement

The Chatterbox has been guaranteed the right of freedom of the press through the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. The administration of Walnut Hills High School is thus bound to support and protect the Chatterbox’s inalienable rights as a free press.

As an integral part of the Walnut Hills High School community, the Chatterbox has the responsibility to report in the most comprehensive and objective manner possible. Students, parents, faculty, and administrators

Page Editor: Sarah Wagner

are encouraged to use this publication as a forum to express any ideas or concerns, whether they be personal or of local, national, or international scope.

Journalists are required to work under established guidelines. Invasion of privacy as a means of news gathering is prohibited. Articles found to be discriminatory, libelous, or unnecessarily obscene (as determined by the editors or the advisor) will not be published. Finally, journalists are granted the right to keep private the name of a source from whom they

received information with the understanding that the source was to remain anonymous. The role of the newspaper advisor will be to provide counsel and criticism pertaining to the newspaper’s content and production.

Although both the advisor and the administration hold certain powers regarding the Chatterbox, both must respect the paper’s autonomy. No student shall be prevented from joining the staff on the basis of sex, race, creed or national origin.

March 13, 2014

SARAH DAVIDOFF, ‘13

The Chatterbox Editorial Staff Hannah Shaw, Editor-in-Chief Zoe Cheng, Managing Editor Celeste Kearney, Managing Editor Joe Schmidlapp, Design Editor Alex Persiani, Photo Editor Neriya Servant, Business Manager

Oliver Olberding, Online Manager; Garretson Oester, Features Editor Samantha Gerwe-Perkins, Adviser Dawn Wolfe, Adviser

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Sports

Spring sports spectacular Lacrosse program grows rapidly

TONY HEIM/CHATTERBOX

Theo Baker, ‘15 shoots in a game against Sycamore. The team is optimistic for the new season.

Alina Tashjian, ‘14

The boys and girls lacrosse program is rapidly gaining popularity, with more and more students trying out each year. This spring season alone, the boys program is holding a seven-day tryout with multiple cuts being made. New head coach Carroll Roberts has the opportunity to weed out the most competitive players Walnut has to offer, a tool that the previous coach in past seasons has not been able to use.

The lacrosse program at Walnut originally started out as a club and did not receive varsity letter status. Now, it is recognized

as a varsity sport, although players do not compete in the Eastern Cincinnati Conference. The boys compete in the OH-1 South West division and the girls are in the OH-S Club league.

Last season, the boys finished 5-10, a significant improvement from their 1-7 season in 2012.

The girls went 5-10, a slow and steady improvement from their 2012 season when they went 4-6.

SENIOR Spencer Kessen has played lacrosse for Walnut since it was a club at school. “Lacrosse is a great combination of nearly every major sport,” Kessen said.

“Because of that, it was appealing to me, and that’s why I started [playing]...Now we’re looking to be competitive in the division and become a perennial play-off team.”

The girls lacrosse team is coached by Mike Shea and, like the boys team, continues to try and build its program and gain popularity amongst Walnut students. With the sport gaining popularity, tryouts have become more and more important, with each team holding multi-day tryouts.

Lacrosse is looking to gain the support of the Nuthouse this spring as each team battles their way to a winning season.

Player profile:

SENIOR Ellery Lassiter

Tennis team hungry for more Tony Heim, ‘15 Ranked among the top ten teams in the city. Advanced to the state quarterfinals. One doubles pair named First Team All-City.

This plethora of accomplishments is not enough to expand egos; the Walnut Hills boys varsity tennis team is still hungry for more.

“It was a little bit under what we had set as goals for ourselves,” said Elisha Aaron, ‘15. This year’s team brings back two members from last year: Aaron and Jake Friedman, ‘15. Along with these two members are transfers Laine Harrett, ‘15 and Con Murray, ‘15.

TONY HEIM/CHATTERBOX

Laine Harret, ‘15, practices his serve. Harret is looking to qualify for the state tournament this year.

THE CHATTERBOX

Harrett moved to Cincinnati from Covington, Ky. where he went to the state finals three times.

He recognizes that competition is stiffer in Ohio, saying that “state is my goal this year. If I fall short, then I haven’t reached my expectation for myself.”

Besides these four juniors, the team is adding Tor Vaz, ‘17.

Vaz has played for Walnut since seventh grade, but this is his first year of eligibility to play on the varsity level.

Aaron believes all of this talent can lead to several conference titles and district appearances, but that is not the goal.”We are focused on the team accolades more than the individual awards,” Harret said.

“I think we have a good depth that we will be tough to beat.”

Friedman realizes they can improve from their team’s thirdplace finish in the conference last year, saying that “from day one, the goal has been to win the ECC, and our team this year has the talent that can allow us to reach that goal.”

In a sport where individuals compete independently, this group has epitomized the “team” coming before the entity. This cohesiveness will play a major role in the team’s success this year.

PRESENTS

FOOD TRUCK FRIDAYS! Friday March 14: Pizza Tower

Friday March 21: Marty’s Waffles

2:30 - 4:00 P.M. EVERY FRIDAY BLAIR CIRCLE

Baseball builds on successful 2013 campaign Kyren Palmer, ‘14 Springtime is near, which means baseball season is just around the corner. The boys varsity baseball team is looking forward to another successful season. The team worked and prepared all winter and is eager for this season to begin. There are many returning varsity starters and players who are looking to step up. The team had a disappointing loss last season against Northwest High School, but the members are confident that they can go further in the tournament this year, in hopes of a shot at the state title.

Coach Dan Finley feels that last season the team turned a corner, having a winning record

after going the previous two years with a losing one. Finley is excited about the players returning and has a few who he is looking to step up and get the job done.

Returning players include SENIOR Will Shaw, who is a catcher/first base/designated hitter.

“Will Shaw had a great year offensively last season, and we expect it to carry over into this season,” Finley said. SENIOR Triston Busick who was First Team AllConference last season, is a pitcher and short-stop and is expected to have a great season. “We expect his All-Conference abilities from [last] season to carry over into this season,” Finley said. Finley also sees potential in SENIOR Sam Burton (pitcher/infielder),

SENIOR Luc Walker (pitcher/first baseman), Bobby Brokamp, ‘16 (outfielder) and Reid Finley, ‘15 (catcher/outfielder).

The team has a tough schedule this season; their schedule consists of Greater Catholic League teams such as Moeller, who are the defending state champions, and Elder. The team must also face two Greater Miami Conference teams: Oak Hills and Lakota West. The Eagles also have a demanding conference schedule comprised of playing everyone in the conference twice.

Want to read more about the baseball team? Check out <http://www.walnuthillseagles. com/chatterbox/>.

Track continues to persevere for championships Kibret Alem, ‘14

SENIOR Ellery Lassiter has been involved with track and field since fifth grade and competes in shot put as well as discus. He is an All-American athlete who signed athletically with University of Pennsylvania. Lassiter’s accomplishments include: a three-time Field Athlete of the Year award, Dual-School Record Holder and the 2013 Enquirer Spring Field Athlete of the year. He also holds school and conference records for best performance in shot put and discus at 54’-2.25” and 163’-03”, respectively.

Competitor’s comment: “Practice doesn’t make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect.” -John Powell

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Having excellent SENIORS on a sports team is wonderful, until the upcoming season when a coach has to replace them the following season.

This same complication faced Walnut’s varsity track and field team. The girls’ successful season sent their 4x200 relay to state, got an ECC conference win and a national championship win by the girls’ sprint medley relay team.

This season, the girls have to

March 13, 2014

work hard to be on the same level as the girls who left. “Everyone realizes that if we want to do well this season, we have to train hard,” said track team member, Emma Kasperczyk, ‘15.

Although the boys’ team didn’t do as well as the girls’ last year, they still lost almost all of their relay team due to graduating SENIORS. The team did not win the conference but managed to have some runners qualify for regionals.

SENIOR Ellery Lassiter had a great season as he set the school

and conference records in shot put and discus.

When asked about the upcoming season, current SENIOR Amani Russell said that “the team’s goal is to win the league, which is always the goal...and [it] is what we work [toward] throughout our season.”

Want to read about the upcoming softball season?

Visit <http://www.walnuthillseagles.com/chatterbox/>.

Page Editor: Alina Tashjian

Fine Arts

African dance and drumming storms Walnut Hills Lily Beane, ‘16 The 15th annual African drum and dance performance took place on Friday, March 7, led by band teacher Charles Ferrara and special guests Dan Meunier and Ashleigh D’aunoy. Ferrara first met Meunier and D’aunoy while visiting Ghana.

During fifth bell, a crowd of students and teachers filed into the nearly-full auditorium to see the members of the club perform three different traditional African dances. The audience was immediately immersed in the African culture upon seeing all of the members dressed in colorful cloth that was representative of the different cultures. Large traditional drums were also set up on stage.

To prep for this performance, the group practiced from Tuesday through Thursday after school until 6:30, which is a half hour later than anticipated due to the snow day on March 3. The performance was not only available to students, but also to any interested adult, as there was an after-school performance on Friday March 7 as well.

JOE SCHMIDLAPP/CHATTERBOX

Students who participated in the annual African drum and dance program perform one of the dances during the March 3 show. This particular dance, entitled Gahu, tells the story of a hunting excursion from a village.

Ferrara started the program to share the knowledge he gained while in Ghana. “I used my platform as a music educator to bring the music and dancing of Ghana to my students,” he said.

Ever since the first performance,

there have been an average of 25-30 students involved, ranging from grades 7 to 12, and there are new members joining every year.

First-year participant Kayla Lennon, ‘17 joined after seeing past performances. “A lot of my friends

said it was fun, so I thought I’d give it a try,” Lennon said. Fellow first-time participant William Strasser, ‘15, joined after being invited up on stage during last year’s performance.

Both Strasser and Lennon

agreed that they will, without a doubt, be participating in next year’s performance. “African ensemble really is a great experience, and I hope everybody will consider being a part of it next year,” said Strasser. Audience member Morgan Schwartz, ‘16 enjoyed watching the dancers.

“They looked like they were having a good time,” Schwartz said.

In the short amount of rehearsal time the club members learned three traditional African dances including, in order of performance, Boboobo, Gahu and Malivata. Both Boboobo and Gahu stem from the culture of Ghana, located in West Africa. The third dance, Malivata, came from Tanzania, which is located in East Africa. The drums that were present on stage included the Jembe, Gongoqui, Ahatse and an Ewe set.

This educational program will be present for years to come, as long as finances are present. Ferrara says he encourages all students to discover what is out there and develop individual cultural awareness.

Walnut shows off fine arts in new sampler 4 p.m. They will be singing songs they have learned throughout the year, including songs from their recent participation in the Ohio Music Education Association (OMEA) Competition.

The Music Department will have several performances throughout the day, including pieces done by the jazz, steel drum and strings groups as well as piano students. The depart-

ment is hoping to repeat all of its performances several times so that all attendees have a chance to see each group.

The Fine Arts Day was created to show the current and future Walnut community the various aspects of Walnut’s visual art, choral, theater and music departments. All are invited to attend, and entrance and refreshments are free of charge.

COURTESY OF REM

On Saturday, March 22, Walnut will showcase its visual art, choral, theatre and music departments at Fine Arts Day. From 1 to 4 p.m., all four departments will be showing off student work in various parts of the building.

Schedules of events and refreshments will be provided. This firsttime event is geared toward both current and prospective students and their families.

For the Art Department, this event will be very similar to the Fine Arts Evening that usually occurs toward the end of each semester. Student artwork that has been completed thus far will be displayed in the forum, in the second floor hallway of the Arts and Sciences Building and in all art classrooms. In addition, each

Page Editor: Karinne Hill

room will host an activity. Stenciling, making friendship bracelets and drawing demonstrations are among a list of possible activities.

Students involved in the theatre program will be performing various pieces they have learned throughout the year. Songs from the senior high musical Oklahoma! and scenes from the high school drama The Importance of Being Earnest will potentially be shown.

The Advanced Theatre class will also be performing 30 minutelong improvisation scenes, which Theatre Department head Michael Sherman calls “improv jams.”

Sherman added that these scenes will include large amounts of audience participation.

Walnut’s choir program will be represented by several of its top high school choirs. These groups will be performing from 2:30 to

Shall I tell you the secret of the whole world? Painting Parody and Disguise will be at the Contemporary Arts Center from March 29 through July 26. This exhibit contains work from artists who all live in or used to live in Cincinnati.

Get your tickets now for Andrew Lloyd Weber’s The Phantom of the Opera! The show will be at the Aronoff Center from April 30 through May 11. Tickets are available at <cincinnatiarts.org>.

Walnut’s jazz program will be among the groups represented at Fine Arts Day. Their performance will be repeated periodically throughout the event.

Karinne Hill, ‘15

Fine arts calender

The Medium is the Message is an all-female exhibit in which abstract work using many different materials explores various types of creativity. The exhibit is held in the YMCA Women’s Arts Gallery Downtown now through March 27.

DEVIN RYAN/REM

Walnut’s Women’s Ensemble rehearses their set for a concert. They are among the groups that will potentially represent the choral department at the event.

Walnut’s theater department is in need of make-up artists interested in special effects make-up for the upcoming production of Mother Courage and Her Children. Interested students should see Mr. Sherman in room 2510 for more information.

March 13, 2014

Macy’s annual Art Sampler will take place March 15 and April 12. This free event includes performances from the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati Opera and more, as well as exhibits at the Contemporary Arts Center and the Taft Museum of Art.

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Style & Culture Would you like fries with that?

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

French fries have become a major staple in the fast food world. 22.5% of Walnut students prefer the McDonald’s variation of this popular side dish.

Kristian Tatum, ‘14 “Hi, welcome to ____________.

How may I help you?” “Yes, can I get a cheeseburger, a medium fry and a Sprite please…”

Any fast food frequenter knows, an order cannot be

completed without a crisp side of French fries. French fried potatoes are a fast food favorite around the world. The flavors of the fat, or salt—or both—lead many to often purchase these salty treats. French fries do not require eating utensils, just bare hands, which makes

them easy to eat and to carry on the go. The many restaurants selling French fries frequently combine servings of fries with other foods, such as, fried fish or hamburgers. Additionally, restaurants tend to frequently advertise with large pictures of French fries on billboards by the highway.

Whether thin, thick, greasy, crispy or salty, French fries come in many different varieties and people can be particular about how they like their fries. This passionate display of affection for French fries does not only come through in the outcome of the fry, but the oils used to cook them. Many people believe fries are made of three things: potatoes, oil and salt. Although this is true for most fries, different fast food restaurants add things to their fries to make them unique. McDonald’s fries might not be a favorite among vegetarians because of the natural beef flavoring in the oil used to cook the fries. However, the benefit of French fries is that many restaurants are beginning to venture out and give costumers options of different types of fries to enjoy.

According to a survey conducted among 200 Walnut Hills students from seventh graders to

SENIORS, Walnut students are passionate about their fries. The surveyed students couldn’t agree on what was a perfect french fry due to the fact that each fry has its own individual traits. Sami Lecture, ‘15 said, “I love french fries, but they can’t be too potato-y… because then they’re just mushy and gross.” Another student, Makayla Gentry, ‘16 said, “I enjoy

Burger King’s fries because whenever I get them, they are cooked perfectly, and the other places I go always have a problem with them.”

Whether the preference is 5 Guys, Burger King or another place for your favorite fries, many Walnut students clearly see fries as an essential part to any hamburger-and-soda combination meal.

INFOGRAPHIC BY GRACE HILL

Bunbury introduces new artists to this year’s lineup

COURTESY OF WWW..BUNBURYFESTIVAL.COM

Students who have a passionate love for music make an effort to visit Bunbury each year to hear bands and to connect with the people and culture of Cincinnati. Bunbury is in its third year and will continue until 2021.

Grace Hill, ‘15 Cincinnati’s own Bunbury music festival has come to its third year. The festival brings together the city’s music and culture scenes.

Taking place July 11-13, the festival has announced 66 artists, both local and national, who will bring their sound to the six stages at Sawyer Point and Yeatman’s Cove. With the exception of one headliner, the entire lineup has been announced for this coming summer.

This year’s headliners include Fall Out Boy, Paramore and The Flaming Lips, with shows by

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Young the Giant, Fitz and the Tantrums, New Politics and Foxy Shazam among the numerous others.

This summer brings some returning performers but also a new set of solo artists and bands that will bring a fresh musical perspective to Bunbury. However, some people are less impressed with this year’s list.

Payton Mays Hollander, ‘15 said, “I’m excited for this year’s lineup, but I really wish there had been more bands that have a bigger fan [base].” A good number of those on the lineup are small local musicians and little-known bands.

Madeline Bogard, ‘15 believes the festival will showcase the “perfect mix.” Bogard said, “I think [Bunbury] has a nice mix of bands that people love (Young the Giant, Fitz and the Tantrums, Paramore and Fall Out Boy) while still considering the whole point of the festival -- showcasing new music.”

Michaela Greer, ‘15 favors 2014’s lineup over past ones.

She believes Fall Out Boy and Paramore will draw their many devoted fans to the event. However, she said that the big names shouldn’t matter; “what should count is the vibe the artists [bring] out of the audience so they can have something positive to spread to potential goers for the years to come.”

Bogard described the festival as having “crazy” energy and a “positive atmosphere.” She loves “that everyone’s there for the same reason: the bands.”

“I think people who are debating on whether they should go should take the chance, not based [on] the previous years, but to listen to bands [they have] never heard of and [to] get a taste for more genres,” said Greer. Going to see artists you’ve never heard can expand musical tastes and introduce you to what could be your favorite new bands.

Tickets are currently $65 for a one-day pass, $145 for a three-day pass and $325 for a three-day VIP pass, which includes front-row access, air-conditioned tents and special performances, among other surprises. Visit <www.bunburyfestival.com> to purchase tickets and learn more about the event.

December March 13,4,2014 2012

Around Town March 8th through April 5th brush up on your literary classics and see Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice at Cincinnati’s Play House in the Park.

Tickets start at $30, but rush tickets available to students with a student ID beginning 30 minutes prior to curtain.

More information available at <www.cincyplay.com>

Page Editor: Issue Grace CVII.4 Hill

Junior high spelling bee winner announced

ASHWINI KAMATH/CHATTERBOX

Junior high spelling bee champion Abdul Smari, ‘19 is spelling out a word on the spot! Smari has been participating in spelling bees since he was in the first grade. a champion speller at Walnut. curately spell the highest number Kendall Young, ‘18 Who is this Peanut? This Peaof words in their classes are then nut is Abdul Smari, ‘19! recommended to participate in the Who is this Peanut? Before atSmari made his mark at Walnut school’s verbal spelling bee. This is tending Walnut Hills, this Peanut during the school spelling bee. where Smari was recognized as this was a student at the International In both seventh and eighth grade year’s school champion, leading Academy of Cincinnati (IAC) for English classes, students are him to participate in the regional six years. His favorite subject is required to participate in a written competition. math. When this Peanut grows spelling bee, meaning that the Smari has participated in up, he thinks he wants to be a teacher reads the word and the many school spelling bees prior zoologist. He is a seventh grade student makes an attempt to spell to this year. “I started in the first student who is making his mark as that word. The students who acgrade, then I just had a brain

Peanuts

freeze,” he said. “It was just in a school bee.” He added that in “the second grade I had another brain freeze…they misheard me so they just took me out. Then [in] the third grade I missed it. [In] fourth grade I made it to regionals. [In] fifth grade I made it to...regionals.

And then [in] sixth grade, I made it to regionals.”

The first time Smari excelled to the regional level, he finished in 16th place. With the help of studying, his photographic memory and his parents, he finished in seventh place at this year’s regional spelling bee. “Yeah, I studied, but I have...a photographic memory, so if I see it, I know it,” Smari said. “So, I don’t really study [spelling] that much, you could say. [I studied everyday] for like two hours...My parents also helped me.” When attending IAC, Smari realized that his photographic memory was starting to evolve along with his early reading and comprehension skills.

Smari finds that he has a talent when it comes to spelling and plans to make it further than the regional competition next year.

“If I win [regionals], I will go [nationals],” he said. “But I have to take this crazy test to get to the national [level], and I don’t know how hard it is.”

Congratulations to Smari for representing the Eagles in this year’s spelling bee!

Spring changes more than just the weather

After months of nonstop cold and days upon days of snow and ice, everyone is looking forward to warm spring weather. Get ready to pull out your shortsleeves and put away your winter coats and boots!

Alexis Thomas, ‘17 As the bitter, extreme winter weather goes on, a faint light at the end of the tunnel becomes more visible: spring. As spring comes closer and closer, a lot of things start to change: the snow is melting, the sun is shining more often and it is getting warmer.

But the weather is not the only thing changing; people are getting into action too. “I love it,” Nick Moore, ‘17 said. “It’s the perfect weather when it’s not too hot or cold. There’s all these bright colors from the flowers blooming and leaves growing. I also like when it rains, because jumping into puddles is super fun.”

From the clothes people are wearing to the activities they are

participating in, everything is influenced by the transition. Kevonna Lewis, ‘17 is influenced by not having to “wear a big coat.” With warmer weather, people are starting to wear shorts, short-sleeved shirts and less layers. Morgan McDonald, ‘17 described her perfect spring outfit as “a flowy dress with sandals and a long sweater.” Many people are beginning to follow this trend, but remember, nothing too short or too revealing. Find a way to stay comfortable without your wardrobe interfering with the Walnut dress code. However, sunshine isn’t the only weather that is usually seen in spring; there is also rain. “But that’s what rain boots are for,” McDonald said.

After school and even just in general, you begin to see more

Page Editor: Kandyce Clark

people spending time outside doing various activities. “I like walking around outside,” McDonald said. From sports, to walking or just having fun, a lot of people are enjoying the warmth of the sunshine. “I like to skate around the neighborhood or play basketball with my friends,” Moore said.

On Sunday, March 9, Daylight Savings Time began, meaning that the sun rises and sets later in the day. This cost everyone about an hour of sleep, but it actually will allow people to better enjoy the sunlight later in the day.

With the weather getting warmer, it is so easy to focus more on extracurriculars and lose sight of what’s really important: school.

Don’t spend too much time having fun; make sure to focus on

March 13, 2014

your schoolwork as well. In other words, manage your time.

The spring, however, isn’t always perfect. There are also a few downsides: bugs start to appear, rainy days— and mud puddles— are more numerous, and mornings and nights get quite chilly. There are also allergies to worry about: “My allergies act up a lot. So, I have to take a bunch of medicine,” Moore said.

Whether we like it or not, spring begins on March 20, and hopefully it is going to stay. It doesn’t only serve as an end to the cold that has been around for so long, but it also serves as a reminder that the school year is starting to wind down and summer is on the way.

Strike gold in green

Kandyce Clark, ‘15 Saint Patrick’s Day (March 17) originated in the 17th Century as a feast day celebrating the introduction of Christianity in Ireland. The day was originally created to commemorate Saint Patrick, but has since turned into a major festive event observed in not only Ireland, but also the Irish diaspora worldwide. In America, it is a day of leprechauns, shamrocks and green — lots of it! Here are some ways to celebrate your Saint Patrick’s Day to the fullest: 1. Wear green. Wearing green is by far the easiest way to celebrate! You can rock green clothing, jewelry or pins. Just make sure to wear as much green as possible!

2. Shamrock your nails. This may not apply to guys, but if you are into nail color and patterns, shamrock your nails! It’s simple; just create four interlocking circles, fill them in and make a little green stem to create your shamrock.

3. Dye your hair. While permanently dyeing your hair green is a huge leap, there are always temporary options! Fun hair colors are all the rage, so you can celebrate while staying with the trend.

4. Eat green candy. This is no doubt the most enjoyable tip, because everyone loves candy.

Eat green M&Ms, green apple Skittles or even— if you’re a Potter-freak like I am— grass, spinach or watermelon-flavored Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans!

5. Color your drinks. Drinking clear water is never more fun than drinking green water! Pump a few drops of green food coloring into your drinks to make the most of your day.

6. Eat Irish food. If green is simply not your color, you can always cook a delicious Irish meal for your family. Some Irish dishes include: Irish lamb stew, Colcannon (made with potatoes, sauteed leeks and cabbage) and lime-pistachio tart. Go to <http://allrecipes.com/recipes/ world-cuisine/european/ukand-ireland/irish/> for more suggestions.

7. Watch movies featuring Irish actors. Colin Farrell is an Irish lad who doesn’t just have a pretty face; he’s also quite a talented actor! You can see his most recent drama, Winter’s Tale, in theaters now. Another Irish actor is Liam Neeson, who voiced Aslan in the Narnia movies.

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Arcade CVIII.11 word search

Rules: The answers to the clues exist in the word search. Solve the clues to find the hidden words.

Joe Schmidlapp, ‘14 and Sean Wood, ‘15

Clues:

1. Author of several graphic novels, including Watchmen and V for Vendetta 2. A prophet from the 6th century B.C.E. 3. Adjective meaning “hearty, warm and affectionate” 4. Adverb meaning “in a gloomy manner” 5. A large Australian marsupial 6. A 1994 gangster film directed by Quentin Tarantino 7. Currently the eighth-richest person in the world, worth approximately $40.8 billion 8. A non-vital organ responsible for replacing old red blood cells 9. An old English word for a tree stump 10. A linux-based operating system, owned by Google and designed for smartphones and tablets 11. An ethnic group in southern Louisiana 12. Sin(π/2 − θ) 13. Disagreeable or troublesome; causing annoyance 14. An African nation completely surrounded by South Africa 15. The act of killing a king 16. The capital city of Bulgaria 17. A palindrome, a foundational belief or principle 18. A 1960 sitcom set in the town of Mayberry, North Carolina 19. A programming language designed in 1959, also known as the Common Business-Oriented Language 20. Owned by Great Britain, this rock marks the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea 21. A building occupied by a community of monks living under religious vows 22. A seed of marshy grasses, this food is a staple in the diet of several East Asian countries.

23. An ancient Greek playwright, known for tragedies such as Oedipus the King and Antigone 24. A color of intermediate green and orange, as of ripe lemons or the sun

CVIII.11 Sudoku Sean Wood, ‘15 The object of Sudoku is to place the numbers 1 through 9 in each column, row and 3x3 box without repeating any of the numbers. Order is not important as long as the numbers don’t repeat.

Warm feet for school A.J. Newberry, ‘14

In character “What would you not do for a million dollars?”

“Eat the school lunch.”

-Anna Knappenberger, ‘14

“I would do anything for a million dollars.”

“Stop doing art.”

-Donald Stocker, art teacher

“Cut off my right arm.”

-Josiah Kleinheinz, ‘14

“I wouldn’t kill anyone.”

-Chelsea Carpenter, ‘14

-Jamaal Hill, ‘14

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March 13, 2014

Page Editor: Sean Wood